Car-coupling



(No Model.) I

. 0. A. TOWER.

GAR GOUPLING. 1

No. 487,546. Patented-Dec. 6, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON A. TOWER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,546, dated December 6, 1892.

Application filed June 29, 1892- Serial No. 43 83 (NO 1110591) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLINTON A. TOWER, of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a view showing two of my improved couplers in engagement with each other, one of the coupler-heads being in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is a view showing one of the heads of Fig. 1 in open unlocked position. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the coupling-tongue, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the coupler with the tongue removed.

My invention relates to that class of carcouplers in which the coupler-head is provided with a pivoted knuckle adapted to engage a similar knuckle in the coupler of an opposite car, and its purpose is to provide means by which the knuckles can be locked when in engagement with each other and by which after unlocking they can be thrown open into position for recoupling without making it necessary for the brakeman to go between the cars.

To this end my invention relates to a coupling-knuckle provided with a movable locking-finger fitting in a longitudinal slot in the coupling-arm.

It also relates toa laterally-movable openingfinger adapted when moved vertically in one direction to lock the kn uckle and when moved oppositely thereto to release it and when rotated to swing it open; also, to such openingfinger when constructed so that the act of moving it vertically to release the knuckle shall automatically turn it by cam or wedge mechanism; also, in a turning or laterallymovable opening-finger situate back of the inner knuckle-arm and adapted when turned to swing said arm open, and to certain other features of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, 2 represents the draw-head of the coupler, which in general may be of the usual type and outline, having two jaws 3 and 4, the jaw 4: being laterally recessed or forked and containing a knuckle 5, which is pivoted by a pin 6, passing through the knuckle and through registering holes in the coupler-head. The knuckle has an outer arm b and an inner and preferably longer arm 0, which when the coupler is looked, as shown at B in Fig. 1, rests in the cavity of the jaw 4.

For the purpose of holding the knuckle in locked position, (the position shown at B in Fig. 1,) I use a locking-pin journaled in the coupling-head and having a projection or finger which fits in a recess in the knuckle-arm c and which when the knuckle is closed is adapted to engage the coupler-head, and thus to lock the knuckle, and is adapted also when raised to engage an inclined portion of the coupler-head and to be turned automatically thereby, so as to swing the knuckle open. This is the most desirable construction and is made the subject of specific claim, though within the scope of my broader claims the coupler may be constructed so that it will embody my improved locking devices without the opening devices. The projection or finger need not fit in a recess in the knucklearm and need not be provided with a turning incline, but may be turned by hand action, and the means for locking and the turning-finger need not be comprised in a single device, but may be constituted of individual parts.

As shown in the drawings, a pin 7 is set in the jaw 4 of thecoupling-head,so that it may be movable vertically and is provided with a projection or finger 8, situate within the forks of the jaw 4E, and adapted when moved downwardly to enter or engage a recess 9, formed in the lower part of said jaw. The arm a of the knuckle is formed with a longitudinal recess or slot d, preferably open at its end next to the axis of the knuckle, while the extremity of the arm 0 at the outer end of the slot is formed with a substantial thickness of metal, thnsaffording a strong end which in use abuts against the back of the recess of the jaw 4 and receives the principal strain of buffing. The finger 8 fits in the slot d, and when the knuckle is in the position shown at B in Fig. 1 the slot registers with the recess 9, so that the finger may drop automatically into engagement with the coupling-head in said recess and may lock the knuckle securely. When the finger drops into the recess 9, its motion is limited by a head or projection 8', formed at the end of the finger and adapted to engage the edge of the recess 9. In the act of coupling with another coupler, the knuckle is swung from its open position shown at A in Fig. 2 to the position shown at B in Fig. 1, moving with it the finger 8, which is supported by bearing on the coupler-head until it comes opposite to the recess 9, when it drops thereinto automatically and locks the knuckle, as before explained.

The devices above explained constitute the means for locking the knuckle, and may be used with or without the use of the devices which I am about to describe and which are employed for opening the knuckle. Within the forks of the jaw 4 and adjacent to the finger 8 is an inclined projection or stationary cam 10, with which the finger engages when it is moved vertically, and which, by bearing thereon, is adapted to swing the finger outwardly. Vithin the more generalclaim of this application, relating to the means for opening the knuckle, it is not necessary that the finger-S should fitwithin aslot in the arm 0, since it may accomplish its opening function by being set not in a slot, but entirely back of the arm, in which case it is necessary to employ a separate knuckle-locking device; but the means illustrated are the more desirable, since by employing the same part to perform a double function the construction is simplified. The position of the pin may also be changed from the point near the axis of the knuckle to a point in the coupler-head near the outer end of the arm 0, the direction of the finger in that case being reversed.

hen it is desired to open the knuckle and to bring the device into position for recoupling with another coupler, the pin 7 is lifted by suitable means, such as by a usual lever and chain or other device connected with the pin at the top or bottom. The first consequence of this is to raise the finger 8 out of the recess 9 and to unlock the knuckle, and then as the finger moves farther, it engages the incline 10, is deflected thereby, and hearing against the kn nckle-arm cswings it open. In thus opening the knuckle the first engagement of the finger 8 therewith is near the outer end of the arm 0, a position which affords to the parts a long leverage and makes it easier to start the knuckle in case it should stick in its bearings. As the knuckle'arm is moved, the bearing of the finger thereon approaches the pivotal axis and is thus continued sufficiently to permit the knuckle to be opened by a positive action to its full extent. \Vhen the knuckle is open and the finger permitted to drop, it rests upon the coupler-head at the base of the recess on which the knuckle moves.

The advantages of the invention with regard to the broader principles of its construction consists in its simplicity and ease of operation, the security with which the knuckle is held, and the safety which the coupler affords to workmen employed in coupling cars. \Vith respect to the construction illustrated in the drawings, which is made the subject of specific claims herein, there are also numerous advantages. By setting the locking-pin directly back of the knucklearm it is sheltered and prevented from liability to injury, and by causing it to fit in a slot or recess in the knuckle-arm, it serves to hold the latter in such manner that when locked the knuckle will not be pulled out from the head if the pin 6 should break or should become displaced, but will be held securely by the finger.

I claim- 1. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging knuckle and a finger pivotally mounted in the coupler-head and fitting in-a longitudinal slot in the knuckle-arm, and means for holding the knuckle in locked'position, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging knuckle and a finger mounted in the coupler-head and fittingin alongitudinal slot in the knuckle-arm, and a recess into which the finger may drop at its rear position, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging knuckle and a finger pivotally mounted in the coupler-head and fitting in a longitudinal slot formed in the rear of the knuckle-arm and open at the end andnext to the axis of the knuckle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a swinging knuckle, of a locking-finger pivotally mounted in the coupler-head connected with the knuckle and carried laterally thereby and a recess or shoulder in the couplerhead with which the finger may engage, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In a car-coupler, a knuckle having a locking-finger fitting in a longitudinal recess in the knuckle-arm and adapted to hold the knuckle from longitudinal motion, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. A car-coupler having a knuckle provided with an inner and outer arm and a laterally -movable opening-finger situate between the inner arm and the side of the jaw and adapted to open the same, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging knuckle having an inner and an outer arm and an opening-finger pivotally mounted in the coupler-head between the inner arm and the side of the jaw and adapted to be moved to open the knuckle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging knuckle and a finger which is laterally movable to open the knuckle and is vertically movable to connect the knuckle in looking engagement with the coupler-head,

substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging knuckle and a finger which is pivotally mounted in the coupler-head and is laterally movable to open the knuckle and is vertically movable to connect the knuckle in looking engagement with the coupler-head, substantially as and for the purposes described.

10. In a car-coupler, the combination'ot a swinging knuckle and a finger mounted in the coupler-head on a vertical axis and connected with the knuckle-arm, so as to be capable of swinging the same, and a recess in the 

